permissions maybe/bought computer, it is still registered in the sellers name

[umwhat]

Windows Update is not letting me install Windows XP SP3 and nor can I
install Windows XP SP3 from the Windows XP SP3 download I saved for future
installations. Adobe Flash Player will not install and I see at Adobe a
reason for Flash Player not installing can be there are some sort of
restricted user permissions and I am logged on as an Administrator.
Can I reregister Windows XP Home Edition in my name? I did find a form
online at Microsoft where I could change ownership or reregister XP but I
did not know what I should write for the old owners name.
I have since found there is his name on the computer, and I can even email
him if I need to.
What can I do about this?
I want to register the XP Home Edition in my name anyway. Shall I try to
find the Microsoft webpage I found before where I could try to change the
ownership and attempt to register XP in my name or what should I do?

 

[Malke]

Windows Update is not letting me install Windows XP SP3 and nor can I
install Windows XP SP3 from the Windows XP SP3 download I saved for
future installations. Adobe Flash Player will not install and I see at
Adobe a reason for Flash Player not installing can be there are some sort
of restricted user permissions and I am logged on as an Administrator.
Can I reregister Windows XP Home Edition in my name? I did find a form
online at Microsoft where I could change ownership or reregister XP but I
did not know what I should write for the old owners name.
I have since found there is his name on the computer, and I can even
email
him if I need to.
What can I do about this?
I want to register the XP Home Edition in my name anyway. Shall I try to
find the Microsoft webpage I found before where I could try to change the
ownership and attempt to register XP in my name or what should I do?

You don't need to register XP Home. Registration is always optional and will
in any case not change anything on your local computer.

With a used computer, the first step is always to do a clean install of
Windows.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Windows Update is not letting me install Windows XP SP3 and nor can I
install Windows XP SP3 from the Windows XP SP3 download I saved for
future installations. Adobe Flash Player will not install and I see at
Adobe a reason for Flash Player not installing can be there are some
sort of restricted user permissions and I am logged on as an Administrator.
Can I reregister Windows XP Home Edition in my name? I did find a form
online at Microsoft where I could change ownership or reregister XP but
I did not know what I should write for the old owners name.
I have since found there is his name on the computer, and I can even
email him if I need to.
What can I do about this?
I want to register the XP Home Edition in my name anyway. Shall I try
to find the Microsoft webpage I found before where I could try to
change the ownership and attempt to register XP in my name or what
should I do?

With second-hand computers, especially if acquired from strangers
but perhaps even if acquired from a family member or friend, your wisest
course of action would definitely be to format the hard drives and start
fresh. You don't want to get in trouble because the original owner may
have filled the hard drive with kiddie porn, or have problems because
the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware.

However, to fix the "Registered to" information for WinNT/2K/XP,
you can use Start > Run > Regedit.exe to edit:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\RegisteredOwner

and:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current
Version\RegisteredOrganization

How this will affect the name displayed in previously installed
applications will vary depending upon each individual program; some read
the registered owner information dynamically, while others read it only
during installation.

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, without risky registry editing, even if the
associated user account has been. So, your best course of action would
be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user
account, with the username desired. Once you've logged in using this
new account (and transfered any data you need to preserve, you can then
delete the old user account(s).

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[umwhat]

....I hope my email address does not show up here again...its a bit tricky
trying to keep it off the Newsgroup when you try to use email newsgroup
emailing.

Thankyou for your easy to understand replies.
The seller of the computer reinstalled XP Home for me and also the Hewlett
Packard software.
That is what he said he did but, he gave me all the cds for the HP
computer and they are in sealed HP cd sleeves.
Maybe they are newer cds from HP, I remember I got newer cds for a new OEM
computer I bought.

 

[umwhat]

I have now unplugged that computer and I will use it again later then get
back and tell you what the situation is.
Thank you for the useful information. I do use quite a few different
computers now and every little bit of good information like you people have
given helps. Thank you...I hope my hotmail account name does not appear in
the Newsgroup replies again...spam...dam...

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have now unplugged that computer and I will use it again later then
get back and tell you what the situation is.
Thank you for the useful information. I do use quite a few different
computers now and every little bit of good information like you people
have given helps. Thank you...I hope my hotmail account name does not
appear in the Newsgroup replies again...spam...dam...

Your HotMail account will probably continue to appear until you start
using a real news-reader to fully control your posts.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[umwhat]

Hi Bruce, thankyou.
I see my hotmail account name does not appear in my posts here but it
appears in the posts to the newsgroup in the email reading window in Windows
Live Mail.
I like Windows Live Mail and the 5GBs of Live Spaces online storage space.
Also the Live Mail has a very nice photo viewer....so far it is very very
nice.

Thankyou again.

 

[umwhat]

Hi Bruce,
I am using the computer agin now which I asked about in this thread.
I am wondering what good it will do me to change the previous owners name
in the registry. It seems it will do nothing and I am wondering shouldn't
the activating and registering be done through the operating system?
...these are some ideas I just got after seeing the previous owners name in
the registry.
BTW, his name was not where you posted above, his name was in the Real
Player, I know what Real Player is...and somewhere else...
It seems there may be a legality involved here even though the previous
owner is not the legal owner now, I mean, even if what I change his name to,
it seems the new name should be registered properly for any effect.

hi...

 

[umwhat]

....and, I still can not install Flash Player on this computer. I have a
Macromedia Shockwave 10 product on this computer also and am wondering if it
is what is not letting XP SP 3 and Flash Player install. I installed
Silverlight. The helps at Adobe.com have not helped but after looking in the
Macromedia folder for Macromedia Shockwave I see there is still versions 6
through 9 in there...

hi again...

 

[umwhat]

....wow, what is happening here...I have been posting messages from Windows
Live Mail and not all the messages I have posted that I see in Windows Live
on the other computer are appearing in the Newsgroup on this laptop in
Windows Live.
I am logged on to the Newsgroups from this laptop because Flash Player
and SP3 are not installing on the other PC and the messages in the Newsgroup
do not open on the other pc in the online New Users Newsgroup. One message
appears and then it disappears and thats it, nothing.
This is very odd. It seems there is an unmaintained system running reading
3 days ago and a maintained server system refreshing properly on which I can
see everything up to date. I have refreshed both ... webpages I am looking
at!!...this is odd I must....post....lol.

 

[Olórin]

...and, I still can not install Flash Player on this computer. I have a
Macromedia Shockwave 10 product on this computer also and am wondering if
it is what is not letting XP SP 3 and Flash Player install. I installed
Silverlight. The helps at Adobe.com have not helped but after looking in
the Macromedia folder for Macromedia Shockwave I see there is still
versions 6 through 9 in there...

hi again...

Sounds to me like your best bet would be to do as recommended earlier - back
up data, reformat and reinstall.

 

[umwhat]

I can do that if need be.
Since I have noticed the problem I have remembered seeing the problem
before.
I do use computers for my hobby which is almost a full time pastime for me
now, and I seem to remember there is a security or safety feature somewhere
that I overlooked...just plain slow of me...I will get it right eventually,
I always do...lol...fingers triple plussed then crossed... and having this
particular pc available is not vital because I bought it for the cheap
Microsoft Office 2003 Professional software which is requirement for a
computer course I hope to start on soon and I do have other computers ready
to use.
Thank you.

 

[umwhat]

this post is an experiment...thank you.

You don't need to register XP Home. Registration is always optional and
will
in any case not change anything on your local computer.

With a used computer, the first step is always to do a clean install of
Windows.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Windows Update is not letting me install Windows XP SP3 and nor can
I install Windows XP SP3 from the Windows XP SP3 download I saved
for future installations. Adobe Flash Player will not install and I
see at Adobe a reason for Flash Player not installing can be there
are some sort of restricted user permissions and I am logged on as
an Administrator. Can I reregister Windows XP Home Edition in my name? I
did find a
form online at Microsoft where I could change ownership or
reregister XP but I did not know what I should write for the old
owners name. I have since found there is his name on the computer, and I
can
even email him if I need to.
What can I do about this?
I want to register the XP Home Edition in my name anyway. Shall I
try to find the Microsoft webpage I found before where I could try
to change the ownership and attempt to register XP in my name or
what should I do?

Used computer...

*You* should take the installation media (hopefully it is original (stamped)
discs) and format the system and install Windows XP cleanly. Update the
hardware drivers, patch Windows XP, install your applications and security
software and start like this computer is yours - because it is now.

Don't take the chance that anything at all is a mystery to you - you know
what went on the system, etc.

 

[umwhat]

Yes, that is the best thing for me to do. There is too much involved
that I do not understand and so many things I can put right by myself.
Thankyou.
There is more than 10 cds with the pc which is rather exciting. I have
already installed Windows XP on plenty of other pcs and always wanted to see
what the soft wares that go into an OEM computer such as this. I don't
understand how the previous owner could have reinstalled XP for me the new
owner without opening the sealed cd envelopes.
Oh well, not to worry, a clean install it is.
Thank you....and for your patience.

 

[umwhat]

Yes, it is definitely that time. Thank you.

Used computer...

*You* should take the installation media (hopefully it is original
(stamped) discs) and format the system and install Windows XP cleanly.
Update the hardware drivers, patch Windows XP, install your applications
and security software and start like this computer is yours - because it
is now.

Don't take the chance that anything at all is a mystery to you - you know
what went on the system, etc.